Artist: Carnifex
Album: Until I Feel Nothing
Date Released: 10/25/2011
Genre: Deathcore, Death Metal

This has definitely been a year for death metal's comeback. With a whole slew of bands on the extreme side releasing long-awaited albums this year (including Exhumed, Autopsy, Decapitated, and Rose Funeral, to name a few), it only made sense that this wave of death metal would sweep some bands along the way. And Carnifex's last album Hell Chose Me was certainly already heading in that direction, away from the chug-chug slump that was The Diseased & the Poisoned. Now, Carnifex's fourth album combines impressive riffs with even more impressive drumwork to create a blinding fast series of songs, picking up where Hell Chose Me left off. While the production is less polished than their previous release, it carries a dark tone with it. The album has less of a pompus, we're-so-evil theme, but more of a (as the intro track screams) "F*CK THE WORLD" theme. The album is fast-paced and relentlessly heavy, stopping only for a slight acoustic meander at the end of the title track. Indeed, similar to the likes of the new Rose Funeral and Job For a Cowboy albums, this album pulls no punches, and is definitely for fans of death metal and deathcore alike.

8/10

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Artist: Coldplay
Album: Mylo Xyloto
Date Released: 10/27/2011
Genre: Alternative Rock, Britpop, Pop

After the mainstream success of Viva La Vida worldwide, the British group set out to write their fifth and most ambitious album ever - a concept album focusing on a love story that ends happily. Mylo Xyloto definitely touts the peak of production magic, with synths and bass lines lacing Chris Martin's iconic voice, lifting anthemic choruses heard in songs like "Paradise" and "Don't Let it Break Your Heart". With the amount of pressure thrust upon the group, the album they create seems to walk on eggshells at points, even moreso than Viva La Vida. And yet, within the confines of lofty alternative rock, Mylo Xyloto sets itself apart with an optimism matched by few others. Some of the atmospheric samples take the listener to some ethereal world, similar to the effect the fictitious world Pandora had on viewers of the new Avatar film. The track "Princess of China", featuring Rihanna, is a bone-chilling duet that elevates the feeling of lovers caught in a timeless dance. Overall, despite the obvious copying from Pete Green and from the Ritmo de la Noche melody on "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall", Mylo Xyloto is a brilliant, fresh scape, solidifying Coldplay's place as one of the best alternative rock artists of the decade.

9/10

Deas Vail - Deas Vail

Artist: Deas Vail
Album: Deas Vail
Date Released: 10/11/2011
Genre: Indie Rock

Birds & Cages was a decidedly polished album, a sign that Deas Vail would not return to the shimmering, dreamy rock that they came to prominence with. With their self-titled release, the third full-length in their discography, the shimmering, dreamy feel has resurfaced with a more mature overtone. The opening track "Desire" features Laura and Wesley's vocal lines layered over each other, hinting at the rich complexity of the music, but its simple melodies will be sure to keep you from getting too lofty an impression. And yet, the guitar lines are spacey and ethereal - it's guaranteed to take you somewhere else. All in all, this album is one that can carry its own among the chunkier side of indie rock, and is a great addition to Deas Vail's discography.

8/10

Mayday Parade - Mayday Parade

Artist: Mayday Parade
Album: Mayday Parade
Date Released: 10/4/2011
Genre: Pop Rock

It's comforting to know that a band knows when they're doing something terribly wrong. The number of co-writes to fill the void of previous guitarist/lyricist Jason Lancaster destroyed the authenticity of their sophomore effort Anywhere But Here, but their third, self-titled release is a good return to form. While it may linger on the melancholy, there are several poppy/catchy tracks, and is sure to please Mayday Parade fans (whose numbers have been struggling of late ever since the launch of Go Radio by Lancaster) The end result is still a pale reflection of A Lesson in Romantics, but as a stand-alone, their third release still manages to catapault the five-piece into the limelight, capturing some hearts along the way.

7/10

Lydia - Paint It Golden

Artist: Lydia
Album: Paint It Golden
Date Released: 10/4/2011
Genre: Indie Rock

Let's face it: the old Lydia is what everyone wants back. The masterpiece that is Illuminate captured the hearts of many, with its stirring melodies and enthralling harmonies. But Mindy White's leave to pursue States, and the subsequent falling out of other members had left Lydia with a hurriedly-assembled EP and a farewell tour. Or so we thought. After Leighton's project with producer Mat Malpass, the resurrected band is back to do a last album - the proper way. An actual full-length this time, Leighton's croons never fall short of capturing the bright-yet-melancholy sound that carried the band since This December. The melodies are simpler, and the lyrics are less cryptic, so the album ends up being much more forthcoming. For audiences with no previous history with the band, this album ends up being very approachable, and for long-time fans, while it may not hold a candle to Illuminate, it is the album that Assailants should've been: a lively and beautiful retaliation against the bitterness that Craig and Leighton have had to experience.

8/10

Rose Funeral - Gates of Punishment

Artist: Rose Funeral

Album: Gates of Punishment

Date Released: 9/27/2011

Genre: Deathcore, Technical Death Metal

Deathcore icons Rose Funeral have come a long way since Crucify. Kill. Rot., and it shows in their latest release Gates of Punishment, truly one of the most punishing metal records to have come out this year. After their embarrassing sophomore slump that was The Resting Sonata, a stable lineup has given Ropse Funeral a breath of fresh air with which to resurface. Mixing brutal death metal with thick deathcore breakdowns, this new release is by far one of the most crowd-pleasing releases the scene has to offer. With crushing blast beats and double bass drum work, the band provides solid riffage, as well as perfectly fitting piano and string arrangements that even the most purist metalhead can appreciate. The guest appearances of Steve Tucker of Morbid Angel and Kate Alexander (a local opera singer) round the album out as more than just a soulless attempt to be the next Hate Eternal, and when all is said and done, one is able to say that while not completely original, Gates of Punishment was flawless in execution.

8/10

LIGHTS - Siberia

Artist: LIGHTS
Album: Siberia
Date Released: 10/4/2011
Genre: Powerpop

After the release of her critically-acclaimed debut The Listening, LIGHTS has amassed quite a following in Canada and the U.S., and reasonably so: her infectious pop and wildly energetic shows speak for themselves. Her sophomore follow-up Siberia takes that energy and channels it away from the teen girl-pop music that would fall under the umbrella of Owl-City copycats, and takes on a completely different sound. The album title is fitting of her recording experience in solace, but it manages to grip your emotions with every line. It's a juxtaposition of several different things, be it the wobbly dubstep-like bass lurking among the tracks, massively clipped dance beats, or the sweetly softspoken LIGHTS whispering over a lonely Moog (in the track "And Counting"), this album is seriously the best electropop/synthpop record i've ever heard. More mature and full of honest life, Siberia is anything but a cold sophomore slump.

9/10

Switchfoot - Vice Verses

Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Vice Verses
Date Released: 9/27/2011
Genre: Alternative Rock, Christian

Jon Foreman has certainly established himself as en excellent songwriter with Switchfoot's newest release Vice Verses. Having written about 80 songs during the Hurricane sessions, this album was not a b-sides collection, but was very intentional and solid - something I was quite skeptical of before listening. The songs on this album, according to interviews, are rooted heavily in the rhythm section, and I can whole-heartedly agree. The release is fairly varied but follows a punchy, driven direction of rock, which (for their eighth record) displays an impressive mixture of angst and maturity. The lyrics focus heavily on societal issues, including the poetry-slam "Selling the News", featuring a very interesting and edgy commentary on the media. All in all, this album was very interesting, and shows that Switchfoot can consistently churn out great music.

8/10

Mastodon - The Hunter

Artist: Mastodon
Album: The Hunter
Date Released: 9/27/2011
Genre: Sludge Metal

Taking us back to the days of Remission and Leviathan, Mastodon have some throwback elements in their sixth full-length The Hunter. And yet, the album is not without its Crack the Skye moments, inviting progressive elements where most appropriate. The heavy but melodic songs like "Blasteroid" certainly remind us who's in charge of the sludge metal world, but don't alienate the fans of the slow, intricate side of Mastodon, best heard in the latter tracks like "Creature Lives". While everything this band has put out has been astounding, this album has managed to testify to the band's improvement in all areas. Dailor does a spectacular job on the drums, as always, while Brent takes the brunt of the vocal duty, and all the while not neglecting transcendent riffs that push the boundaries of prog rock's role in sludge metal. Indeed, the album comes off as more of an accident prog rock masterpiece than a sludge metal record, combining the two in what can only be called "shoegaze metal". Truly their best work to date, Mastodon have never been afraid of changing the game. And, at the risk of misquoting Tron, the game has severely changed.

9/10

The Cinema - My Blood is Full of Airplanes

Artist: The Cinema
Album: My Blood is Full of Airplanes
Date Released: 9/14/2011
Genre: Indie Pop, Indie Rock

Bad music simply can't come from the combination of Leighton Antelman, frontman of indie rock band Lydia, and producer Matt Malpass. Malpass' work with Lydia was the realization of great musical chemistry, and so began the project called The Cinema. On this debut album, one might be tempted to hear a poppier Lydia, but it's much more involved than that. Featuring simple but beautiful song arrangements, Leighton and Matt work together to make some unconventional yet approachable tracks that favor a less melancholy audience. As a Lydia fan, i'm inclined to severe bias, but the album has its flaws. The songs really can be categorized as either a Lydia b-side or as a catchy pop tune, where Malpass's influence is very vocal. To be sure, however, anyone who fancies Lydia will enjoy these songs, if not for any reason but Leighton's cult-inspiring presence on the record.

8/10

Excision - X Rated

Artist: Excision
Album: X Rated
Date Released: 9/12/2011
Genre: Dubstep, Drum n Bass

Jeff Abel's debut on Mau5trap records doesn't disappoint. Under the moniker Excision, Abel has garnered widespread fame with his aggressive approach to dubstep, and X Rated is no exception. Containing very metallic qualities, most of the tracks on this release are akin to some of the Transformers dubstep remixes, but much more serious (if you're unsure as to what i'm referring to, see here) Some are quite different, however, such as the creepy anthemic-like track "8 Bit Superhero", which features some very retro game samples (no spoilers, I promise). Overall, this was not the kind of dubstep release that puts any nails in the genre's coffin, but just might make it live to see another day. The ending track even features guest vocals by Mr. Hudson (spearheading the chorus of radio hit "Forever Young"), which is fairly unconventional in my book as far as what the style usually allows. Deadmau5 picked well, and if you enjoy Deadmau5 or dubstep, pick a copy of X Rated up and enjoy!

7/10

We Came as Romans - Understanding What We've Grown to Be

Artist: We Came as Romans
Album: Understanding What We've Grown to Be
Date Released: 9/13/2011
Genre: Post-Hardcore

I gave this album a listen hoping it would at least try to avoid the Rise Record influence, but after the first two tracks I realized that was hardly possible. The album shines with the polish of overproduction but still is unmistakably WCAR, most prominently understood when the croons of Kyle Pavone soar above the music. While the songwriting was less than impressive on this record, the execution was up to par, providing a good balance of chunky, low end guitars and shiny synthesizer elements. As a pioneer of the style, it is expected, but not welcome for them to fall back on the success of To Plant a Seed with all-too-similar melodies and song formulas. As is the case with most record labels, originality between Rise bands is a constant battle, one that We Came as Romans struggles with as well (consider the similarity between them and, say, the newest For the Fallen Dreams or Sleeping With Sirens release). If nothing else, the album cover is pretty sweet, but while this release holds its own, it carries nothing groundbreaking to the table.

6/10

Opeth - Heritage

Artist: Opeth
Album: Heritage
Date Released: September 14 2011
Genre: Progressive Death Metal

While their older releases more resemble the "progressive death metal" tag, I will attribute it to this release for the sake of simplicity (and to avoid senseless trolling). With that, I have already alluded to the final stage in Opeth's metamorphosis: their complete departure from conventional metal. Relying heavily on the already established guitar virtuosity heard in older albums, most of the album is based around morose, acoustic instrumentation. The harsh growls and screams of Mikael Akerfeldt are almost absent, and any guitar work even resembling metal is very minimal. The most upbeat track by far is "Slither", with a Mastodon-esque guitar riff breaking the album up. Otherwise, The album is very low-key, which is by no means a bad thing. In fact, amidst all the over-produced and jam-packed releases out there, this one is a breath of fresh air, masterfully utilizing space and silence to evoke all the emotion these Swedes are able to muster. Akerfeldt expressed this in the recording process, and with 9 studio albums under their belt, no one is in a position to judge them. This album was a very pleasurable experience, and I recommend it to anyone with a yearning for the baroque, the quaint, and the calmly expressive.

9/10

The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne

Artist: The Devil Wears Prada
Album: Dead Throne
Date Released: September 13 2011
Genre: Metalcore/Post-hardcore

A band successful for blending synth and metal arrangements cohesively, The Devil Wears Prada have had a solid history backing their fourth full-length album Dead Throne. Their latest EP featured tales of a zombie apocalypse, but also featured some of the heaviest riffs TDWP have ever written. Fortunately, this doesn't let up on Dead Throne, providing several mosh-worthy riffs in songs like Constance (featuring Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying) and Forever Decay. The atmosphere of the album is very dark, which is obvious in the instrumentation; almost all of the synth work and clean singing are gone, or play minimal parts. For all of its success, however, Hranica's horrible screaming is sadly the most prominent factor. It grates on your nerves like nails on a chalkboard, almost as bad as Chelsea Grin's newest album My Damnation. Usually vocals make or break a metal release, and for TDWP, Hranica's weak shrilly voice is an empty shell of the low growls and intense cries heard on past releases. Overall, however, the difference in production makes this a refreshing release for a band that's had quite a few  this album will definitely please TDWP fans despite its departure from Roots Above. 

6/10

Jamestown Story - Find a Way

Artist: Jamestown Story
Album: Find a Way
Date Released: June 1 2011
Genre: Acoustic/Emo

It has been a real downer journey for Jamestown Story, with songs of heartbreak since their name was And Then I Turned Seven. This newest full-length is no exception, with plenty of songs wailing about - yep - that one girl again. Nevertheless, this album is full of decent tracks, including the first couple that are stripped down, acoustic songs, which are catchy - along the veins of E For Explosions or Ellington. While there aren't many upbeat or bright spots on the album, it's good for a spin when you're in a down mood. I recommend this album because it adds grace to the acoustic movement spurting on the generation of mini-Chris Carabbas, and holds a good collection of mellow tunes for the melancholy days.

7/10

Put Your Head Between Your Legs And...

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS APART?


Anyone that knows me even a little bit will know that i'm obsessed with music. I've been playing guitar, piano, drums, and a number of other things during the past 5 years, inspired when I first saw the music video for Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames" (cheesy as all get out, I know, but true!). My music library is home to over 50,000 songs of ALL kinds. And I mean all kinds. Those people that say they listen to everything would be quite challenged to take a dive into a shuffle playlist that I conjure up when i'm in a curious mood, and for good reason, because I like all kinds of music; diversity in creation is something God  bestowed upon us as artifacts of His image, and I thoroughly enjoy basking in that resulting reservoir.

For about a year now, i've been writing reviews for a website called Review Rinse Repeat, which has been a great experience, and while I often get trolls like mad, I express my opinions in the most unapologetic manner because I derive joy from expressing myself in the clearest and most earnest way possible. Which leads to my predicament...

Every now and then, for the past two years mainly, i've been writing little diddies which could be mistaken for songs. I write them for any number of reasons. Some i've written to help get me through hard times. Some songs are the result of putting music to lyrics that a friend or acquaintance wrote. Mostly, though, to express myself, just like in the reviews. But as I have acquired more and more recording equipment, a behemoth of a motive has risen up from within me. It's taken me a while to pin it down, and I think it's several things manifesting themselves, but the forefront is one thing: pride. I've told several people that i've never written a song that I was proud of. Not one. Now, that's plenty enough to get one in a discouraged funk, but there's a lot more to it.

It isn't really that i'm jealous and envious of other song-writers who write moving and compelling pieces, though that happens from time to time. It's more that I am very hard on myself, perhaps. And yet, amidst the murk that is my horribly harsh judgment, I realize a grim truth: I can't write good songs. What goes into defining a 'good song' is impossibly difficult, and I won't go into that now, but the fact remains: I lack the ability. I've been trying, for years, to force something out of me that isn't there, and I end up getting frustrated and burnt out because of it. Focus and determination are things that really are foreign to me, but 2 years is enough time to realize that i'm not waiting for a Thomas Edison moment, i'm waiting for a Don Quixote moment. And it's come at last.

Beyond the other reasons that have arisen (the world has plenty enough songs, and no one will like my music anyway, ad nauseum), the realization that I can't write music just shattered my spirit. Writing music was what I had always wanted to do, and now realizing that that dream has to be put to rest is proving hard to cope with. I had thousands of dollars of equipment, plenty of instruments, and time on my hands, but the results never came. This is truly one of the most jarring, depressing, and surreal realization to have struck me in my life.

SO....WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS APART?



"And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind" - Ecclesiastes 4:4-7

There's a new void in my life, one that i've never really had to face. The proverbial chapter in my life of false aspiration is closing, and I must come to grips with doing something useful and productive with my time, one that ends not in toil and chasing after the wind. It will be hard, and difficult, and truly, truly I am demonstrating a great deal of melodramatic valor, but embellished as it is, there is truth in this post - I am putting off making and playing music for an indefinite amount of time. Until a new revelation falls upon me, I will continue writing reviews and enjoying others' musical endeavors and songs, for that really has been my handful of tranquility.

A good year for metal

I just wanna say, as a metalhead through and through, this has been a good year for metal. Despite the losses in the metal family (likw Wurzel from Motorhead, R.I.P.), and the occasional horrible release (which i'll get to at the end), there have been some pretty sweet metal releases to date. Here are a few i'd like to outline (in no real order, but probably alphabetically):

Abysmal Dawn - Leveling the Plane of Existence: This death metal outfit has written some pretty brutal stuff in the past, but this album puts most other death metal bands to shame. If you're a fan of the genre, you can't afford to overlook this one.

Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising: Making Norse mythology sound cooler than ever is the Scandinavian group Amon Amarth, and their new album has received high marks in several metal communities.

August Burns Red - Leveler: The hype is real with this band, and I say that because i've listened to swarms of metalcore bands that think they're the bomb. ABR does not disappoint with Leveler, writing some of the rawest tunes you'll ever hear from the genre. Astounding all around,

The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual: I have always loved the riffs that this band comes up with. This album pretty much picks up where Deflorate left off, and is everything that is good about TBDM.

Born of Osiris - The Discovery: While I think there are plenty of better prog metal bands, Born of Osiris writes some interesting stuff, throwing a lot of electronic influence in as well.

Between the Buried and Me - Parallax; Hypersleep Dialogues: This one doesn't need much explanation. Everything BTBAM writes is pure gold. Imaginative in every way. Just wish it was more than 3 tracks long...

Decapitated - Carnival is Forever: Yet another death metal release that really shows how it's supposed to be done! While i'm not very familiar with Decapitated, I liked what I heard off of this album. Strongly recommend.

The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction: Everyone states that Devin Townsend is a mad genius. After listening to this release a couple times, I can agree. Mad, but wonderful at composing. Excellent symphonic arrangements for metal on this album.

The Human Abstract - Digital Veil: Really similar to BTBAM as far as their strictly metal progressions are concerned. They don't wander around with instrumentation a lot, but Digital Veil is definitely for fans of BTBAM's Alaska. Recommend for prog metal lovers.

In Flames - The Sounds of a Playground Fading: I feel like this album has been promoted to death, but there are definitely some solid tracks on this album. Not a HUGE fan, but I can appreciate the music on this release.

My Dying Bride - Evinta: I have always loved this band for capturing the true essence of doom metal. If you're a doom metal fan, you already know this is going to be good. Pick up a copy somewhere and sink in!

Septic Flesh - The Great Mass: This is my album of the year to date. Incredible, breathtaking orchestral arrangements. A whole orchestra from Greece helped to record this monster of an album, and Septic Flesh have officially become my symphonic metal heroes.

Suicide Silence - The Black Crown: I was surprised by how much I liked this release, considering how crappy the band is. Really dirty language-wise, so I don't recommend, but it's on the list nonetheless.

Within the Ruins - Omen: While there are only 2 originals and 2 covers on this EP, the originals are amazing. Looking forward to more from these guys!

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Albums I liked, but I don't find really striking -

All Shall Perish - This is Where It Ends
Amorphis - The Beginning of Times
Architects - The Here and Now
Arsonists Get all the Girls - Motherland
Becoming the Archetype - Celestial Completion
Bermuda - Isolationist
Catalepsy - Bleed
Children of Bodom - Reckless Relentless Forever
Deadlock - Bizzaro World
Darkest Hour - The Human Romance
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
The Famine - Architects of Guilt
Illdisposed - There is a Light, But It's Not For Me
Lazarus A.D. - Black Rivers
Obscura - Omnivium
Fit For An Autopsy - The Process of Human Extermination
Hammerfall - Infected
Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst the Ashes
Job For a Cowboy - Gloom
Memphis May Fire - The Hollow
Motorhead - The World Is Yours
Origin - Entity
Sepultura - Kairos
Sleeping Giant - Kingdom Days in an Evil Age
Straight Line Stitch - The Fight of Our Lives
Unearth - Darkness in the Light
Winds of Plague - Against the World
Vanna - And They Came Baring Bones

HORRIBLE MENTIONS: These are the albums that either stunk, were disappointments, or both. If I offend any of you, I really don't care. My opinion is mine alone, and doesn't represent the mouth of God on the subject.

As Blood Runs Black - Instinct: The biggest disappointment in the history of deathcore. What a horrible release, through and through. I couldn't even listen to it all, it was just bland metalcore at best.

The Crimson Armada - Conviction: While Guardians was an awesome melodeath release, this was not. It's hard to classify this album, it's several different genres of crap. Crapcore, melodic crap metal, hardcore crap, this album was just rubbish.

Death Ray Vision - Get Lost of Get Dead: I would think with a supergroup like this some good tunes were bound to come out, but alas, mediocre thrash is all we're stuck with.

Emmure - Speaker of the Dead: Well, it's Emmure. I'm pretty sure that explains why it's on this list.

Here Comes the Kraken - Hate, Greed, and Death: While this is much better produced than their debut, it's a bunch of generic deathcore that no one wants to hear, really.

Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus: RARELY have I seen the death metal community this enraged about a release. I have to side with them, this album was a big disappointment. Don't bring this one up in conversation around certain crowds.

Legend - The Pale Horse: As a Rise Records band, I hesitate to call these guys a metal band, but they certainly sound like they want to rock the 7 strings and push prog metal into the mainstream. These guys embarass the prog metal community by assuming that a couple poly-rhythmic beats make them the next Meshuggah.

Otep - Atavist: I always like Otep and the creepy atmosphere they can quickly create. But Atavist was horrible. Half the album is Shamaya recounting some horrible cheesy horror flick throughout. Boring and tasteless.


Well, that's it! There are TONS of releases i'm looking forward to, but to list them here would take too long, as I can see i've already taken too much time to say something simple: Metal RULES, and will continue to rule. Rock on!

Sex, Drugs, Money, Fireworks, and a Lot More of the First Three Things: the Science of Pop Music Pt. 2

We have already established in Part One of this series that a catchy song is an important element to a pop song. The fact that one can easily remember a song makes it a good candidate for popularity and tons of radio play, and then gets stuck like cocaine; it's annoying as hell at first, until you start loving the stuff, and spend your iTunes gift cards on it.

But is that it?

There's a lot more to a pop song. Songwriters (it should go without saying that most artists receiving the brunt of the disparagement in these articles don't write their own songs) know that to most people in the 21st century, music isn't about conveying a meaningful message anymore, it's about having a relatable message that almost anyone can empathize with. Listeners don't turn on their radio stations anymore to be satiated by a majestic performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Wagner's Die Walkure. Listeners want something they can sing to, something they readily believe and can accept. In fact, dare I say that listeners don't want songs with messages, they want songs they can put their messages into. 


Think about pop music in the last decade. There is no real message behind the song that we don't already know, or feel. Could you imagine if you got 65-70 emails a day, telling you your name and address. Well, what good would that do anyone, if they got spammed emails of information they had already known for years??

Allow me to illustrate. Because radio stations these days are replete with examples, I will choose just 5 from Billboard Top 100, and post some lines from the choruses in snippets below:

1. "Cause baby you're a firework/ Come on show 'em what you're worth /Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"/ As you shoot across the sky" - Katy Perry, "Firework" (Teenage Dream)

2. "I'd catch a grenade for ya/ Throw my hand on a blade for ya/ I'd jump in front of a train for ya/ You know I'd do anything for ya" - Bruno Mars, "Grenade" (Doo-wops & Hooligans)

3. "Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me/hey boy, I really wanna be with you cause you just my type/Ooh na na na/ I need a boy to really take it over/ looking for a girl to put you over/ Ooh na na, what's my name (x4)" - Rihanna ft. Drake, "What's My Name?" (Loud)


4. "We will never be never be anything but loud/ And nitty gritty dirty little freaks/ Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass/ Just come on and come on and raise your glass" - P!nk, "Raise Your Glass" (Greatest Hits..So Far!!)


5. "We’re dancing like we’re dumb/ Our bodies go numb/ We’ll be forever young/ You know we’re superstars/ We are who we are!" - Ke$ha, "We R Who We R" (Cannibal)


What do these lyrics tell us? Where is the meaning? That we can do anything we want and shoot for the stars? That some Hollywood hottie would jump in front of a train for me? To just dance? They tell us absolutely nothing. In fact, it's amazing how many times people can get hoodwinked, and for such a long time! Britney Spears was singing the same idiotic words over a decade ago! I could go even farther back, but here is my main point: 99% of lyrics don't say anything, they merely verbalize what we already feel. We WANT someone to tell us we're fireworks. We WANT someone to love us so much they'd take a blade for us. We (not me, of course) WANT to dance until we're dumb and forget about responsibility and life. 

What's more, people's expectations dictate what songs should sing about. The fact that people don't want meaning logically leads to the conclusion that meaningless music sells. There's no incentive for pop artists to sing about something meaningful, because people aren't expecting that, and it won't be received well.

It's now near impossible to inject meaning into songs and gain success in this world. Because people are ignorant and stubborn. They don't want meaning anymore; as 2 Timothy 4:3 states, "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear". No meaning in pop music lyrics, just an echo from another person's voice.